


The Path is Yours to Climb

by Starshe11



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 22:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14066931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshe11/pseuds/Starshe11
Summary: Prompto has been acting strange lately. Its up to the rest of the boys to figure out what before its too late. Set shortly after Noctis and Prompto meet in high school.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The very first fic I ever wrote for the FFXV fandom, originally posted on my (now-deleted) Fanfiction.net account and reposted to my (soon-to-be-deleted) Tumblr. Based on an episode of Free! Eternal Summer. Enjoy.

Ignis should've known that a normal morning was too much to ask for.

But then again, since THAT guy became his charge's best friend, did he even know what 'normal' even meant anymore?

As the two high school students continued to horse around in the back seat, the bespectacled teenager rubbed his temples and thought back to how they even got in this position in the first place.

-oOo-

The day started off like it usually did, to be perfectly honest. He woke up at 4:30 AM as per usual, got ready for school, prepared the ingredients needed to make breakfast and lunch for him and Noct (with a bit of extra in case the prince was feeling extra hungry), and drove off to the building where the prince currently lived at 5:30 AM sharp to get him moving and ready for school. Simple enough, right?

He couldn't have been more wrong even if he tried, and Ignis rarely ever got anything wrong.

After letting himself in with the key to the apartment, the adviser-to-be proceeded to remove his shoes before stepping into the threshold, noting an extra pair of school shoes beside the ones he normally saw Noct wear. Alerted to Prompto's presence now, he was glad that he packed in those extra ingredients to use. He then went to put down the ingredients on the counter before quietly making his way over to the bedroom, fully expecting both teens to be asleep.

What he didn't expect was for the both of them to be awake, much less that his backside would be kissing the floor as soon as he opened the door.

Wincing in pain, he looked up to discover two things: that his glasses were knocked off in the confusion, and that there was currently a shirtless Prompto on top of him holding a familiar red notebook, identified in the blur by his golden hair.

In the background, Ignis could vaguely hear Noct teasing his best friend about how much trouble he would be in now, and that it served him right for trying to take his notebook. Ignoring that, he realized how compromising their current position was like. Embarrassed, he coughed into his hand and said, "While Gladio claims that lying on a hard floor may be good for one's posture, I would rather not stay like this for too long...if you don't mind that is.," he ended with a pointed look at his friend.

He then saw his assailant flush a deep shade of scarlet, pushing himself off the floor while simultaneously extending a hand out to him.

"Sorry 'bout that, Iggy...You aren't hurt, are you?", the blonde asked sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.

Grumbling out a yes, the adviser-to-be reluctantly accepted the outstretched hand, using it to draw himself up to a sitting position to find his wayward specs. Once they were back in their proper place, he dusted himself off and said sharply, "Now if you both are quite finished with romping around the house, might I suggest getting ready for school? Or at least for breakfast?"

Faces lighting up the mention of food, the pair immediately scrambled to get fully dressed and ready for the day, leaving a smirking Ignis in the hallway, already on the way to the kitchen to prepare their meals.

'I'm glad I also brought those extra onions today...'

-oOo-

Which led to his current predicament.

Sensing a lull in the horseplay at the back, the bespectacled teen turned around slightly and asked, "Not that I don't enjoy your company, but why did you sleep over last night, Prompto?"

Glancing up, the blonde teen chuckled somewhat nervously and said, "Can't I sleep over at my buddy's house whenever I want, Iggy? Besides, you know I come over every Tuesday night."

Flatly, both prince and adviser said, "Yesterday was Wednesday."

Turning as red as a tomato, the photographer began to sputter in the back seat. This elicited a chuckle from the other two, and a smile from the driver from witnessing the enjoyment of the youths.

When they reached the public high school that Prompto and Noctis attended, Ignis opened the door for the duo and proceeded to hand both the lunch packs he had made earlier in the day. This elicited a grunt of thanks from his charge, and a whoop from his best friend. As they were both about to go through the school gates, he called out one last reminder.

"Noct, Prompto. Don't forget that we all have training after school today."

Both teens turned around and gave a thumbs up before rushing into the building.

Satisfied, Ignis returned to the car and motioned for the driver to take him to his own set of classes for the day.

The drive there was spent in silence, with the bespectacled teen mentally checking off the list of things he needed to accomplish today.

'Let's see...Get them to school, go to my own classes, go over the reports of the last meeting during lunch...Lunch...Damn it!'

At this, Ignis turned to the driver and said as calmly as he could, "Pardon me, but we must go back to the prince's apartment at once."

"Why? Did he forget something?", the driver asked kindly.

"Not this time, I'm afraid. I'm the one who forgot my own lunch."

Hearing the driver suppress his amused smiles and giggles beside him as they made for the apartment building, only one thought occupied Ignis's mind

'Damn Prompto and his surprises.'


	2. Chapter 2

Gladiolus, having been trained since early childhood to become someone worthy of being called 'The King's Shield', has only ever wanted to quit training thrice in his life.

The first was when he was just starting out at six years old, his dad Clarus and Marshall Cor Leonis not going easy on him from the get go. He broke a couple of bones during those hellish first two weeks, him throwing his first and only tantrum when they told him to get up and do it again the day after he had a cast put on his leg. Thankfully, they dialed down the intensity for a while after, allowing his body to heal itself properly and acclimate to the harsh conditions more easily.

The second time was when he was first teaching the then-ten year-old prince how to fight. He seriously hated Noctis back then, pegging him as a spoiled brat who knew nothing but to complain and quit when things got tough. His opinion was changed drastically after the boy covered for Iris when she wandered off and got lost. Since then, training with his normally moody charge had become more fun, the solid friendship the two had formed being a large factor.

The third...

...Well, the third was today.

\--oOo--

It all started innocently enough, the trio coming over to their house as per usual every Wednesday afternoon. Gladio had their regiment for the day all figured out: their usual stretching and cardio for about an hour to build up strength and stamina before going on to sparring with each other using only one type of weapon, today focusing on his favourite type: greatswords.

Before they could begin, however, Prompto suggested that they do something a bit more challenging than their usual. He told them about this set of exercises he saw recently on the internet based on various fandoms, and they seemed fun enough to try. Ignis and Gladio took a look at a few of them, and found some of them to be quite difficult. When they chose what seemed to be within everyone's capacity, they showed their final decision to the member of their group who had been keeping silent the whole while.

Noct, wishing to humor his best friend, simply shrugged and said, "As long as we all don't go bald after doing this."

Everyone sorely regretted it when they moved on to sparring, their various muscles crying 'Uncle!' as they were not used to the degree at which they were pushed that day, plus the fact that they were all using heavy swords.

Which led to their current situation.

Pushing himself weakly off the grass in his backyard, using his practice greatsword for support, the 19 year-old wiped the sweat off his brow before taking a quick glance at his three companions, seeing them all sprawled out in various states of exhaustion.

To his right, he could just make out a few subtle snores coming from Noct, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Gladio did his best to hold in a snort, his predictions regarding his charge's condition proven to be correct. While formulating a plan to get him back for officially sleeping during training, he looked to the person across from him.

Ignis, normally graceful and poised in everything he did, looked like a downright mess. His arms and legs were splayed out on his sides, making it look like he was going to suddenly start making grass angels. His shoes had become untied, his shirt had ridden up to expose his stomach, and his glasses were askew on his face. The only things convincing the older man that his friend was awake were the sounds of heavy breathing, and now the flopping about of his arms to try and fix his disheveled appearance. Gladio, amused at the usually stoic adviser's current situation, was about to ask Prompto to commemorate this moment before actually catching a look at the final member of their group's appearance.

The young photographer, normally a ball of pure energy, was lying face down in the grass near the storage shed. His breathing indicated that he also fell asleep, his mumbling incoherent due to the muffling of the grass.

Shaking his head in amusement, Gladiolus used his greatsword to help him stand up. He went over to help out each person, starting with Ignis. After pulling up the bespectacled man and helping him look more like his usual composed self, he moved on to Noctis. Thinking of a good revenge plan, he motioned for Ignis to come closer to the sleeping prince. Once he was standing beside him, Gladio gestured for him to hold Noct's arms down. Realizing his intentions, the now wide-eyed man smirked and proceeded to do so. The Shield then proceeded to position himself on top of his charge in such a way that his knees would be pinning down Noct's legs.

Then the tickling began.

The prince awoke with a yell of indignation, realizing what was happening. He began to sputter death threats while thrashing about, those quickly melting into peals of laughter.

Satisfied, he signaled Ignis to release Noct's arms, pushing himself off of the prince to stand at the same time. His charge glared at him with a coldness that could rival Shiva's, which he simply returned with a smirk.

'Now for the last one...'

"Prompto."

He kicked the teenager gently with his sneaker a couple of times, earning him only muffled groans of discomfort in return. Sitting on the grass beside the blonde, he tried to think of another way to get him up on his feet. Noctis, having calmed down enough, quietly moved over to the Shield and mumbled in his ear a devious idea on how to get the sharpshooter moving up and about. When the prince finished speaking, Gladio's mouth morphed into a Cheshire Cat-like grin before he leaned down to Prompto's ear...

...And blew.

Jumping up about a foot in the air at the sudden gesture, Prompto held on to the side of his face and yelled, "Dude, what the hell was that?!"

Noctis and Gladiolus were both laughing so hard that they were unable to answer the blonde's question. Ignis, fighting hard not to burst out into similarly raucous laughter, settled for an amused grin and said, "Good morning, Prompto. Sleep well?"

Still shaking, the photographer muttered something around the lines of 'feeling violated' before he felt a large hand clap him on his shoulder.

Gladio sat down beside him, traces of a large grin on his face, and said, "Sorry about that. We tried to wake you up the normal way, but you just wouldn't budge."

Flushing in embarrassment, the teenager mumbled, "S'alright. My bad for falling asleep on you. I'm just really tired, that's all. Ahahaha...", he finished with a sheepish grin.

'He must be more tired than I thought...He'd usually crack a joke or two before apologizing', the larger man thought.

Poking his friend's side, the Shield joked, "Hey, energizer bunny. You were the one who wanted to try out that stuff you saw on the net so badly, in case you forgot."

"But it looked coooool...", the blonde whined.

"Certainly didn't feel cool after, though," Noct interjected with a tired smirk.

"Nope, not at all," his best friend replied with a chuckle.

A shadow looming over the trio directed their attention to Ignis, who was currently holding on to four cold bottles of water. Each mumbling their own thanks, all four people guzzled the contents in silence. Once that was done, Gladio suddenly remembered something his dad said earlier.

"Guys, I almost forgot to tell you, but Dad wants you all to stay over for dinner if possible. He wants to ask personally how the training's going."

Noctis and Ignis both immediately agree with a respective grunt and nod. The Shield then turned to the remaining member of their group, surprised to see a troubled look on his face.

Concerned, he placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder and asked, "Something on your mind?"

To his surprise, the blonde harshly flinched under his touch before looking directly at him with the most melancholy eyes he'd ever seen on the most cheerful member of their little group. It was unnerving, to say the least.

A beat of silence passed between them before Prompto quietly replied, "Nah, it's nothing. I just can't join you guys today, that's all. Still have schoolwork to finish up..."

Snorting, Gladio said, "Since when have you taken school work seriously? You and Noct just leave it be either until the day before the deadline or until Iggy lights a fire under your asses."

Figuring that his friend was still intimidated by Clarus, he reassured the teenager, "Relax, Dad's not gonna eat you or anything like that. It's just a simple..."

"Just drop it, okay?! I already told you I can't go!"

The photographer's sudden outburst surprised the other three men, especially Noctis. No one had ever heard him snap like this before.

Realizing that everyone was staring at him, Prompto quickly tried to ease the sudden tension, mumbling that he just remembered that he had to pick up a few things for his dad on the way back before scrambling for the door.

As the front door of the Amicitia residence slammed shut, the remaining trio all had the same thing on their minds:

'What was that about? What's going on with Prompto?'


	3. Chapter 3

Noctis could pretty much sleep anywhere at any time, something he had proven he could do time and time again. He could be doing anything: writing an assignment, listening to Ignis lecture him about his eating habits, training with Gladio…just give him a few minutes and he would be out like a light. It was something he was quite proud of, mostly because it irritated the hell out of his Shield and adviser.

It didn’t occur to him that it could possibly be contagious, though.

These were the thoughts running through Noct’s head as he stared at the person currently snoozing (and drooling) in front of his apartment door with a large sports bag in his arms, the same one who skipped school earlier today, and the same person he calls his best friend.

“Prompto?”

With a jolt, the said blonde immediately leapt to his feet and began looking around blearily, senses still dull from being asleep.

“Over here, you dork.”

Startled, the teenager’s blue eyes finally came to rest on the form of the prince, who was currently trying (and failing miserably) to look pissed off about him sleeping in front of the door. Responding with a grin, Prompto threw an arm around Noct’s shoulders and said, “Welcome home, buddy! Ready for me to kick your ass in King’s Knight?”

Secretly relieved that the blonde’s demeanor was back to its usual cheerful self, the brunette scoffed, “In your dreams.”

The rest of the afternoon played out like usual: play a couple of rounds of their favorite game while lightly talking smack in between and ignore their assignments and other responsibilities until they either get hungry or until Ignis walks in on them and forces the pair to begin working.

This time it was the latter.

The threat of vegetable stew for dinner hanging over their heads, the two diligently finished the assignments given to them for the day, Prompto having extra work to do since he was absent, copying Noct’s notes for the day.

“Why do we even need to learn this stuff again?”, the young photographer groaned, looking over the notes on thermodynamics he was currently trying to make sense of. “I don’t need to know about ‘internal energy’ or 'bond dissociation’ when I’m snapping pictures or helping you guys out with Crownsguard stuff, anyway.” To his right, the crown prince muttered his agreement, head currently resting on his math textbook.

“It’s still helpful to have at least a basic background regarding these things, you two,” Ignis chided gently. “Who knows? They might come in handy some day.”

At this, Noct shot his advisor a pointed look. “Specs, I’m someone who can extract elemental magic from rocks to make magical grenades, warp from Point A to Point B like nobody’s business, and make sharp pointy objects appear out of nowhere as soon as I think about it. I don’t really see how differential equations can come in handy for situations like this.”

Smirking, the bespectacled teen turned to the brunette and said, “Well, you could apply the study of quantum mechanics with regards to your warping and summoning of weapons, plus…”

His argument was interrupted by a loud slamming caused by a certain blonde’s head hitting the table, muttering, “Say no more, Iggy. My brain’s pretty much about to melt.”

With a satisfied look, he resumed cooking dinner for the three of them. Tired of studying as well, Noctis turned to his best friend and asked, “So what brings you here this time anyway? Not that you’re a bother, though.”

At this, Prompto’s head shot up from the table and he scratched the back of his head, replying, “What? Do I need a reason to visit my best buddy now? Besides, I come over every Friday too, remember?”

Both Noct and Ignis stared at Prompto for a few seconds before flatly stating, “Today’s Thursday.”

“Really? My calendar must be off…Ahahaha…”, the blonde replied sheepishly.

'Something’s wrong here…His nerves are usually a bit shot when Iggy and Gladio are around, but not to this extent…’, Noct thought.

Ever since his outburst in training last week, the perpetually cheerful teenager hadn’t been himself. Looking distracted even when the prince was talking to him, making more mistakes in training than usual (even with guns! He almost hit Gladio a couple of times, much to the older man’s irritation), always having somewhere to be after school except on training days…Something was definitely wrong with Prompto, and Six be damned, he was going to find out exactly what it was.

“Hey, you sure you’re okay? You seem kinda…off.”

Flinching, the blonde turned to him and said, “Who, me? I’m fine, Noct! Nothing to see here…”

Not satisfied with the response, the prince simply stared at him, arms crossed. If he didn’t want to talk after being asked directly, Noct would make him squirm until he’d admit what was wrong.

The desired effect of discomfort was evident on the photographer’s face after a few minutes, sped up by the fact that now Ignis was looking at him too, intrigued by the situation at hand.

Getting him to spill…that was another story altogether.

A look betraying discomfort, sadness and anger crossed Prompto’s face when it was clear that the duo wouldn’t let up on him, taking them by complete surprise. The blonde saw the moment as a chance to escape, ducking into Noct’s bedroom and slamming the door shut behind him, which he seemed prone to do as of late.

Startled, the brunette made his way over to the door and tried to open it, to no avail. As he was about to reach into his pockets for the key to his room, Noctis facepalmed as he remembered just dumping the keys on the desk in his room when he and Prompto entered earlier. Turning to Ignis with a silent plea, the man simply pulled out his own set of house keys. Selecting the right one, he slowly made his way over to the door. Turning it, they were both surprised to see that as they pushed the door in, the blonde was pushing back with twice as much force.

“It’s no use,” the prince grumbled. Now pounding his fist on the door, he yelled, “C'mon, Prom. Get your ass out here. I just wanna talk.”

A muffled 'No!’ was the only response that Noct got, much to his frustration. Slamming a hand once more on the door, he looked at his advisor, hoping that he would have a plan to deal with the situation. Before he could say anything, Ignis held up a hand to silence him, his cellphone occupying the other.

“Say no more. I’ll put in a couple of calls.”

-oOo-

An hour and two phone calls later, Gladiolus joined the two at the apartment. The three were currently trying to figure out the reason for their friend’s odd behaviour, and what they could do to get him to come out and talk to them properly.

Having had enough of just sitting around and speculating, the large man abruptly stood up, startling the other two.

“Enough of sitting around and talking about 'what ifs’. The longer we put it off, the worse it’s gonna get. I suggest we go talk to him now.”

“You have a point, Gladio,” Ignis said. “Prompto would have already most likely calmed down enough to carry on a proper conversation with us. But we shouldn’t ambush him all at once. We should go in and speak to him one at a time.”

“I’ll go first, then,” the Shield firmly said. “He might want someone older to get some advice from.”

The two younger men nodded, watching their friend knock softer than they’d ever heard him do before being let in by an unseen Prompto.

-oOo-

A few minutes later, Gladio exited the room with his back to them, softly closing the door. This made Ignis and Noctis stand up quickly, eager to know what was troubling their friend.

“Noct,” Gladio began with an unusual note of happiness in his tone. “Prompto’s gonna be staying with me for now, okay?”

At this, Noct’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why? What’d he tell you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” the Shield said firmly, body now slightly turned to his companions. “He’s staying with me and that’s final.”

That’s when they both saw it.

“Gladio,” Ignis said flatly. “Did you just allow Prompto to bribe you?”

Turning fully to them now, the older man confidently said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Iggy.”

In his arms were six packs of Cup Noodles, plus a little Cup Noodle keychain hooked onto his middle finger.

“Seriously?!”, Noct groaned, holding his head in one hand. “I can’t believe you let him pay you off for frickin’ Cup Noodles!”

Before Gladio could retort, Ignis held up a hand in front of the larger man’s face, the other pinching the bridge of his nose. “You can explain later. For now, our top priority is Prompto’s well-being. Allow me to have a go at it this time.”

Embarrassed, all the man could do was nod, quietly shuffling toward the dining table with bounty in hand. Noct gave his advisor a quick thumbs-up before making his way to the table as well, put slightly at ease that Specs would talk to Prompto. If anyone could find out the truth, it would be the smartest man in the kingdom.

-oOo-

A few minutes and a pack of Cup Noodles later, Ignis emerged from the darkened room, a triumphant smirk gracing his lips and a twinkle in his eye.

Seeing him like that, both prince and Shield stood up and met him halfway, eager to know what information the other man had obtained.

A few beats passed before Ignis opened his mouth.

“I’ve come up with…”

Before the bespectacled teen could complete his sentence, the duo yelled:

“Now’s not the time to come up with new recipes, Iggy!”

Harrumphing to cover his embarrassment at being so easily distracted by the blonde photographer, the man made his way to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of cold Ebony.

Groaning in frustration, Noctis stretched a little before heading toward the door himself.

“Should’ve let me handle this in the first place,” he said, turning to the duo with a smirk. “I’m his best friend, he’ll probably be more comfortable spilling everything to me.”

The two nodded in approval, watching their future king knock softly on the door and be let in a few seconds later.

-oOo-

A few minutes later, Noctis emerged from the room with a rage in his eyes that could rival the Infernian’s. Concerned, Gladio and Ignis immediately moved to their charge’s side, wondering what Prompto could have told him to make him so mad.

“Shit…Those damn…”, Noct growled.

“Calm down for a minute, princess,” Gladio said. “What the hell did he tell you to make you so mad?”

“His parents…”, he stopped before turning to Ignis and firmly grabbing his shoulders, shaking the older teen as he did so. “Specs, we’ve gotta stop them from doing this. They can’t do it, they just can’t!”

The prince himself was now shaking, emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

Pushing his charge’s hands off of his shoulders as gently and as firmly as possible, the bespectacled man said, “Calm down, Noct. Gladio and I can’t stop Prompto’s parents from doing anything, even just a little, unless you tell us what is going on.”

Taking a few deep breaths, the black-haired prince stayed silent for a few minutes before turning to his two brothers and gravely announcing:

“Prom’s parents got new jobs in Niflheim. They’re moving there come next month and transferring him to a military school in Gralea.”


	4. Chapter 4

Prompto was no stranger to awkward situations, having been in plenty of them when he was still a kid. Hell, the first time he tried to speak to Noct was in a whole different class of uncomfortable itself. He figured that he they wouldn’t really faze him anymore.

 

Up until today, that is.

 

The blonde was currently sitting on the couch in his best friend’s apartment, forcibly dragged out by the three individuals currently with him. Ignis and Noctis were on either side of him, while Gladiolus was towering over where he sat. The three had been staring at him in silence with combined looks of worry and frustration for the past fifteen minutes, their gazes not leaving the young man should he attempt to escape. All Prompto could do was look at the carpet, the fibers on the couch…anything, really, just to be able to avoid the piercing looks assaulting him from all sides and the questions behind their eyes.

 

“Just spit it out already,” Gladio muttered, breaking the tense silence.

 

All the blonde could do was look up briefly at the man and shake his head before tracing the small crack he made at the edge of the glass coffee table for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. In the middle of doing so, he was surprised to feel a firm hand on his shoulder, followed by a reassuring voice.

 

“Prompto,” Ignis began. “What Gladio meant to say was that while we do understand the sensitive nature of your current predicament, it may be better for you to talk to us about it. Maybe we won’t be able to give you any advice of note, but simply telling us would allow you ease your mind somehow.”

“Yeah,” Noctis supplied. “Talk to us, you dork. You owe it that much to us, especially after what you did to Specs and the big guy earlier.”

 

The photographer let out a chuckle at this, remembering how he was able to give the two older men the slip earlier that night. He had actually planned to do the same with Noct, packing a book on fishing that his dad never read before heading over. The moment the dark-haired teenager walked in, however, all thoughts of trickery fled his mind, and he proceeded to break down and tell him everything.

 

Realizing how foolish he was being, Prompto took a deep breath and steeled himself for the conversation to come.

“Well…”, he said tentatively, not missing the slight shift in his friends’ posture that indicated they were all listening. “It all started last Wednesday, when I got home from school.”

 

“The day before you crashed into Iggy?”, the prince asked, earning him a glare from the man in question and a snort from Gladio.

Nodding in confirmation, the blonde continued. “Yeah, the day before that happened. Anyway, I’m just humming like usual and minding my own business when I suddenly heard a cough coming from the living room. Of course, I freak out and grab one of the umbrellas from the stand to defend myself with. Since my folks normally text me if they’re gonna be home early either from the office or from business trips, I figured it might’ve been a burglar, right?”

 

“So, anyway, I grab an umbrella, quietly make my way to the living room and am about to go in guns blazing before I hear my parents talking in there. I was so shocked that I dropped my umbrella, causing them to both go quiet and call out for me. Since I was already pretty much busted at this point, I went over, wondering what they were talking about the whole time.”

“Then,” Prompto gripped the green and white band on his right wrist as he spoke. “They just cut right to the chase. No ‘how’s school’ or 'what’s going on with you’, just a simple 'we’ve been promoted to the company’s branch in Niflheim so we’re moving there next month’ and 'you’re going to be transferred to the military academy in Gralea’. Of course, I flipped out and next thing you know, the three of us are in a screaming match.”

 

His story was cut short when he felt a hand awkwardly rubbing circles on his back, not realizing that he was shaking the whole time. Casting a grateful glance in Noct’s direction, the blonde took a few deep breaths to calm down. He needed a bit of time to try and figure out how he was going to reveal the information needed for them to see why he reacted the way he did without accidentally slipping about the black lines under the wristband. When he calmed down enough, he had a good idea of what to say.

“We all said some pretty nasty stuff to each other, my parents calling me out on how I 'seemed to lack discipline ever since entering high school’ and me calling them out on never being there when I needed them,” he resumed. “They dealt the final blow, though, when they said that they shouldn’t have adopted me in the first place.”

 

As he let that sink in for the rest of his companions, Prompto was saying a silent prayer to the Six, hoping that this version of events he told them would be convincing enough. This was interrupted by Gladio, who hadn’t spoken since before the teen decided to tell them his story.

“Pretty harsh of your folks to say…It’s not that hard to figure out that you were adopted though, since you don’t really look anything like them,” the large man said, causing the younger to flinch. “Not that we really mind where you’re from, but do you know where you were born, at least?”

 

Gulping, he noticed the other two, previously locked in their own discussion, currently staring at him and waiting for his answer.

When he didn’t reply right away, the Shield tried a different tactic. “You don’t have to tell us the specifics. But I at least wanna know one thing, and this will just stay between us: It’s the reason why you freaked out as bad as you did when they said you were moving?”

 

Ashamed at being found out so quickly, the photographer gave him a tentative nod. This was returned by the larger man, followed by sympathetic smiles from the other two. He cursed himself internally for severely underestimating Gladio’s observation and people skills, but was over the moon with happiness at the same time. For the first time, he truly realized how lucky he was to have friends like them in his life. Feeling lighter than he had in weeks, he was about to thank the trio before the chime of a phone caught everyone’s attention.

“Apologies,” Ignis muttered as he excused himself to take the call.

 

A few minutes later, the bespectacled man returned with a troubled expression on his face. Turning to Prompto, he said something that made the blood in his veins turn ice cold.

“Your parents are waiting in the lobby downstairs,” the adviser said solemnly. “They wish to take you home to help them start packing.”

 

All of a sudden, the blonde felt like he couldn’t breathe. The room suddenly began to spin around him, the voice of his best friend seeming so far away. He vaguely felt himself being picked up by a pair of strong arms, relaxing into them with one last thought crossing his mind before blacking out.

'Please don’t let them take me away, guys…’

-oOo-

When Prompto next awoke, he was lying down in an unfamiliar room. He shot up from the bed and frantically looked around for clues to see where he currently was.

The room was simply furnished, a nightstand with a lamp and alarm clock next to the bed. The desk was a bit messy, papers and books littering the surface. A closet was across the bed, the latter having red sheets currently mussed up from his sudden awakening. There were two doors, one presumably leading to the bathroom. It was only when he noticed the pictures on top of the desk did he realize who’s room it was.

 

Who else would have picture frames with a Cup Noodle design on them, anyway?

 

The soft click of a door opening caught the teenager’s attention, causing him to tense up and look back and forth between the exit and the window.

 

Before he could calculate the probability of him being injured after jumping through Gladio’s window, the door fully opened to reveal Noctis holding a mug of something steaming, a relieved expression on his face.

“Glad you’re awake,” the prince said with a rare smile. Crossing the room, he held out the mug to Prompto. “Here, some Ebony. Specs said it would help you feel better.”

 

Taking the mug, the blonde gently blew at the coffee before taking a few sips. The warmth immediately spread out through his entire body, washing away any trace of fatigue.

“Iggy sure knows how to make a great coffee,” he sighed contentedly. The photographer then adjusted himself into a sitting position on the side of the bed, making room for Noct to sit beside him. After getting comfortable, he asked, “So what happened while I was out?”

 

Taking the offered seat, the normally moody teen said, “Well, after you had that panic attack, Gladio had to carry you. We weren’t really sure how we were gonna get you out of the building without passing by your parents since the fire exit still goes through the lobby. Then Ignis told us to go into the study. For some reason, there was a secret bookcase like in those old superhero movies, the ones which lead to their secret caves and stuff. This time, though, there was an elevator directly connected to a passageway leading to the lot where Specs usually parks his car when he comes over.”

Eyes widening in wonder, Prompto interrupted and exclaimed, “So we were like super spies? That’s so badass!”

Smirking, Noctis replied, “Hell yeah, it was. Long story short, we dragged your ass there and Gladio had Iggy floor it to his house. You should be safe here for now.”

 

Remembering the reason why they all ran in the first place, the blonde felt his heart sink down to his toes. Upset with all the trouble he caused them, the blonde couldn’t meet his best friend’s eyes as he apologized.

“I’m really sorry for involving all of you like this, Noct. I didn’t even know that they knew I was friends with you, much less where you lived. You guys don’t deserve the trouble my hang-ups have caused.”

Surprised by a playful whack to the arm, the black-haired teen said simply, “We got involved because we wanted to, idiot. That’s what friends are for, right?”

Grinning in response, Prompto threw an arm around his best friend’s shoulder, similar to when they first became friends. The prince didn’t object to the close contact, simply happy that even for a while, things were alright with the world.

This was the position they were in when Ignis and Gladiolus found them a short while later, the pair watching for a while before joining in on the merriment.

 

This was cut short, however, by the banging of the front door.

All four men tensed up at the sound. The same thought was running through their minds at that moment:

'How did they find us so soon?’

Putting a finger to his lips, Gladio motioned for the others to go downstairs as quietly as possible. As they descended the wooden steps, everyone following the larger man’s lead to avoid any creaking of the floorboards, the intensity of the banging only grew.

 

“Gladiolus! What is going on here?!”

 

When they reached the bottom of the steps, a disgruntled voice laced with sleep echoed throughout the house. Flinching in response, the group turned to the top of the staircase to see Clarus Amicitia glaring down at them, arms crossed threateningly.

Gladio turned to his father when he was called, hissing as loudly as he could, “Not now, Dad! There’s something going on right now, and I’ll explain it all later. But for now, just go back to sleep and let us handle it.”

“I’d rather not wait, son,” the older man grunted. Pushing them all aside, he said, “Let me take care of this now, then we’ll talk.”

 

The four could only watch on as King Regis’ Shield summoned a broadsword in his right hand, slowly making his way toward the peephole installed in the door. When he saw who it was, the man dropped his sword in shock, letting it fade away in a shower of crystal shards. His expression, normally stern, melted into one of shock and panic as he fumbled with the locks to open the door.

When the figure entered the threshold, everyone except Ignis and Noctis looked panicked, wondering why that man was here at this late hour. The sullen prince, ever calm, called out to the figure as his adviser gave a deep bow beside him.

 

“Glad you could make it, Dad.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Y-Your Highness?!”

 

A collective yell came from everyone else present in the room, all with varying degrees of loudness. As the other three scrambled to give bows of their own, King Regis smiled and held his hands up in a peaceful gesture, motioning for them to stop. A tense calm spread through the room at that moment, lasting for all of five minutes before Clarus broke the silence.

“Not to be rude, but what are you doing here at this hour, Regis? You, and some other people I know,” he proceeded to glare at the four younger men before continuing, “should be at home safe and asleep by now.”

 

Patting his friend’s arm gently, the king replied, “At ease, Clarus. No need to get mad at these four just yet, especially since there is a more pressing matter to be addressed now.” With this, he shot a knowing glance at Prompto, causing the blonde to flinch.

The current Shield quickly understood the implications of the statement and willed himself to calm down. He then nodded at his charge and said, “As you wish then. But at least tell me how you got here in the first place.”

 

The other man chuckled and nodded in his son’s direction before replying. “Cor drove me here, at his insistence. But as for how I knew to come here, it would be better if Noctis or Ignis explained it to you, and of course,” he glanced at Prompto and Gladiolus then, “to the rest of our present company.”

Both prince and adviser shared a look before explaining everything up to the present.

\--oOo--

*Flashback*

“Say no more. I’ll put in a couple of calls.”

Before the bespectacled man could do so, a call came in, surprising them both. Looking at the caller ID, Noctis was surprised to see ‘His Majesty’ displayed on the screen. He knew, of course, that his dad had been keeping tabs on him through Ignis’ personal reports whenever the latter attends the meetings at the Citadel, but to call on him personally? That’s never happened before.

 

Sending his charge an apologetic look, the strategist took the call. Before he could get a greeting out, however, the prince hissed out, “Put it on speaker.”

Ignis vehemently shook his head at the request, matching the defiant stare of the other teen with an equally impressive glare of his own. This went on for a few seconds before Regis’ voice filtered through the speaker, a muffled chorus of 'Hello?’s now filling the tense silence. A big sigh escaped the older teen’s lips before putting the call on speaker phone.

 

“Apologies, Your Highness,” the bespectacled man said sheepishly. “I was distracted by something…most annoying.” This statement was punctuated with a smirk at the now-sulking Noct.

“Ah, it’s perfectly alright, Ignis,” King Regis replied. “Are you already there at my son’s apartment? Did you tell him I was coming over?”

 

The said prince then decided to cut in on the conversation, coolly glaring at his adviser as he muttered, “Nope, Specs here didn’t tell me anything about you coming over.”

“Hello, son,” his dad replied in a warm tone. “I see you were listening in on us. Sorry to do this so suddenly, I just wanted to have dinner and chat with you like we used to before you moved out…Is it a bad time?”

 

Feeling his heart clench at the words, the future king of Lucis couldn’t bring himself to reply. Seeing the conflicted look on his friend’s face, Ignis stepped in to answer, “Actually, Your Majesty…”

The strategist relayed the past week’s events to the King, from Prompto’s increasingly odd behavior the week prior up to present. Not a sound was heard on the other end of the line as he spoke, save for a few grunts to indicate that he was listening. When the entire story had been told, Regis’ response was full of melancholy.

 

“This is most unfortunate,” the King sighed. He had grown rather fond of the cheerful boy his son called his 'best friend’. “What do you two plan to do now?”

Noctis was the one who spoke then, replying, “We’re not really sure yet. For now, we’re gonna call Gladio and get him to come here. Seeing all three of us here for him might get him to talk.”

 

A grunt of approval came from the other end of the line, followed by a suggestion. “I would also like to talk with him, if possible. Some parental advice may be just what he needs. Are all four of you planning to stay at the apartment for the rest of the night?”

“Most likely, Your Majesty,” Ignis replied. “However, should a change of location be needed, we will head over to the Amicitia household.”

 

“Very well then,” King Regis agreed. “Just keep me updated so I can let Cor know where we should head next.”

“Of course. Please give our regards to the Marshal.”

*Flashback End*

\--oOo--

“So that’s why you kinda seemed edgy on the phone earlier,” Gladio said.

Ignis nodded in confirmation before turning to Prompto, putting his hands on the shoulders of the younger teen.

 

“Go on, tell them,” he urged. “His Majesty and Sir Clarus may be able to advise you properly on the matter at hand, seeing as they are both parents themselves.”

“B-but…”, the blonde stuttered. “W-why don’t you tell them instead?”

“Simply because it is not my story to tell,” the adviser said firmly.

 

Taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, Prompto made his way over to the dining room table and sat down, facing the two fathers. As soon as he started speaking, the words just started flowing out of him. What began as a simple talk about his current situation transformed into a soul-baring confession, the blonde letting out every bit of hurt he felt towards his foster parents. He was sick of them never being there when he needed them, of them always putting their work before him, of making decisions like this without even considering his feelings. He didn’t mention the bar code on his wrist, though, and how he thought it was the primary reason why his parents were so cold to him.

 

He was a bawling mess at the end of his rant, but at the same time, considerably lighter than he had been for the past two weeks. His heart only grew lighter still when the two older men each gave him a hug and a pat on the back, his friends meanwhile gazing on with looks of support and sympathy. When he had calmed down enough, King Regis spoke to him gently.

 

“Thank you for sharing your feelings with us, Prompto,” the King began. “I’d like to ask you a question now, though. Do your parents know how you feel?”

“Er…not really, Your Majesty,” the blonde replied sheepishly. “The only times I ever told them about this stuff were when I was around seven, and when I fought with them over the move last week.”

“How come you haven’t brought it up around them more often?”

“Well…,” the teen let out a sigh before continuing. “The first time I brought it up, they just kinda brushed me off. Told me they didn’t have the time to listen to my complaints.”

 

A surprised look flitted across everyone else’s faces at that moment, Noct’s tinged with anger. True, his dad rarely had time to spare for him being King and all, but the precious moments that he did, he always listened to whatever the prince had to tell him. Even when he became older and weaker due to maintaining the Wall, Regis always made sure to make it a point to know what was going on in his son’s life, whether through Ignis and Gladio or through the rare times that Noctis was in a good enough mood to talk. For him to hear that something like this was happening to his precious friend made the brunette sick to his stomach, both at Prompto’s home situation and at himself for not really appreciating how good he actually had it.

 

It must have been evident on his face then, as he suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him. Looking up, the prince saw his father looking at him with a tender expression. Noct gave his father a firm nod and mouthed out a 'Thanks’, eliciting a warm smile from the older man’s lips. He then nodded in the direction of his best friend, sending Regis a look that they would talk about this more after this matter was resolved. Nodding in understanding, both royals turned back to the distressed teen.

Clarus stepped in at this moment, putting a firm hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Listen, this may sound like a really bad idea right now given the circumstances, but I think you should go home right now and try talking to them again.”

 

“W-what?!”, Prompto sputtered, his eyes growing to the size of saucers.

“Just hear me out, okay?”, the older Amicitia cut him off. “Before I go off on some long-winded lecture or something, I want to know something. When did you first bring it up with them?”

“Like I said, sir. When I was seven…”, the photographer’s brow furrowed in confusion, puzzled by the question.

 

“No, that’s not what I meant,” the man chuckled. “Do you remember if they just came back from work, or if they were busy doing something then?”

“They just came home from work then, I think…”

“I’m just taking a stab in the dark here, but maybe they only said that because they were too tired?”

“I guess,” the teen conceded glumly. “I know I should’ve talked to them at a better time, when they weren’t so tired, but when is that gonna happen? Normally, when they get home, I’m either fast asleep or at school. When I do see them, they’re always too tired or too grumpy to even bother with me.”

 

“Exactly why now is the perfect time.”

“Huh?”, the blonde tilted his head sideways, trying to comprehend why.

The Shield then turned to the other parent in the room and looked to him for back up, similar to the way he did back when they were travelling the world. King Regis nodded in understanding before helping the young man try to understand the meaning behind those words.

 

“Your parents are looking for you now, aren’t they?”

“No offense meant, Your Majesty, but they just wanna find me to make me help out with packing,” Prompto muttered darkly.

 

“While that may be the case, it doesn’t change the fact that they are worried enough to come looking for you,” Regis smiled. “If they truly didn’t care about you, they would have just gone straight home and left you to your own devices.”

The simple logic behind the words struck a chord in the blonde, evident in the now conflicted look that crossed his face.

 

“But what do I even say? Last time we talked, we all just ended up screaming at each other. What if I screw this up and we actually do have to move away?”

“Just tell 'em what you told us then,” a joking voice replied. “Except, maybe tone down on the waterworks, yeah?”

 

To Prompto’s surprise, the response didn’t come from either of the two fathers present. Looking up, he saw that Gladio was the one who spoke, an amused expression on his face.

“If you need some help with figuring out what to say exactly, I may be able to give you some advice in that department,” Ignis spoke next, a hint of confidence in his words.

 

“Just let us know if you want us to go with you when you talk to them,” Noct smirked, but with no malice or teasing behind it. “Might make it easier to convince them.”

The blonde unblinkingly stared at his friends for a while, an undecipherable expression on his face. Just as the trio was about to ask what was wrong, they saw the photographer smile brighter than he had in the past week, eyes misty.

 

“Thanks guys. I’m definitely gonna need some help with planning out what I want to tell them, but I think I’ll talk to my parents alone. It’s my battle, after all.”

A sudden surge of pride welled up in the three younger men, each glad to see their friend back to normal. They each made their way over to Prompto’s seat, cheering and joking all the while. On the sidelines, Clarus and Regis looked on with smiles on their faces, both reminded of the strength of their own brotherhood back in the day. The feeling was strong for the king in particular, paired with a twinge of guilt as he was reminded of a certain gruff mechanic whom he hadn’t spoken to in years.

 

'I’ll call Cid first thing in the morning. It’s about time we made up…’

\--oOo--

A few hours later…

As the first rays of dawn broke through the sky (and a few cups of Ebony were downed), Regis offered to drop the blonde teen off at his house. At first, Prompto flat out refused, telling the King that he had already imposed enough on him. Thanks to the insistence of the others, however, everyone save for Clarus was currently crammed into the Regalia and on their way to the suburban area of the city.

 

The photographer could feel his heart beat a thousand miles a minute, constantly fidgeting in the back seat where he was currently squished beside Noctis. After fidgeting with his wristband for what seemed like the hundredth time, the person beside him muttered, “Dude, enough already. Everything’s gonna be fine. We didn’t drill you until morning for nothing.”

Feeling ashamed, Prompto said, “I know, I know. But there’s still some part of me that can’t help but worry about messing up, y'know?”

 

“You will be able to get your message across to them, I’m sure,” King Regis cut in. “Parents are more astute than you may think.”

Nodding, the blonde finally settled back into his seat. The entire car ride was quiet and peaceful, only punctuated by the occasional snore from Noctis or Gladiolus. Soon enough, the car was parked in front of the Argentum residence.

 

Seeing the front of his home caused the butterflies in Prompto’s stomach to act up again. Whatever negative thoughts the teen had chased away in the car earlier now came back with a vengeance, causing him to freeze as soon as he got out of the Regalia.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knocking from behind him, causing him to turn around and come face to face with Ignis.

 

“Well?”, the older man said, his voice still laced with sleep. “Aren’t you going to go in?”

“Uh…Well…I’m…”, the blonde sputtered.

 

“Come now, Prompto,” the strategist smirked knowingly. “Don’t let all of our hard work go to waste.”

Gulping, the teen willed his feet to take him to the front door of his house. Bringing up a fist to knock on the door, he noticed that his hand was trembling. He turned back to the car, hoping that the bespectacled teen was still looking out at him to give him some form of reassurance.

To his relief, the adviser still was. Noticing the younger man’s discomfort, he simply nodded and gave him a thumbs-up, mouthing the words 'You can do it" before shutting the car window.

The blonde turned back to the door now, feeling more confident than he had ever been in his life.

 

And he knocked.

 

\--oOo--

When Prompto came over to Noct’s apartment the following week, his usual sunny grin plastered on his face, the prince knew right there and then that his best friend was here to stay.

For good.


End file.
